Washington, D.C., Gentrification Maps and Data

To assess how gentrification has reshaped urban neighborhoods, Governing analyzed demographic data for the nation’s 50 most populous cities. Changes in several measures, described below, were calculated for each city’s Census tracts and compared to others throughout metro areas. While the methodology is similar to prior research on the subject, no universally accepted definition of gentrification exists.

Gentrification remains rare nationally. It did, however, greatly accelerate in many cities over the past decade. The following table summarizes the extent to which neighborhoods in the District of Columbia gentrified:

Gentrifying Census Tracts: These lower-income Census tracts experienced significant growth in both home values and educational attainment. To be eligible to gentrify, a tract's median household income and median home value needed to fall within the bottom 40th percentile of all tracts within a metro area at the beginning of the decade. Tracts considered to have gentrified recorded increases in the top third percentile for both inflation-adjusted median home values and percentage of adults with bachelors’ degrees.

Tracts Not Gentrifying: These Census tracts met eligibility criteria, but did not experience enough growth in educational attainment and median home values relative to other tracts within a metro area to have gentrified.

Not Eligible Tracts: These tracts, typically middle and upper-income neighborhoods, did not meet the initial criteria for gentrification. To be eligible to gentrify, a tract's median household income and median home value both needed to be in the bottom 40th percentile of all tracts within a metro area at the start of a decade. Tracts with less than 500 residents or missing data were also considered not eligible.

Washington, D.C., Gentrification Map: 2000 Census - Present

NOTE: Data shown correspond to current tract boundaries, which may have changed from prior Census years. Figures are calculations from 2009-2013 American Community Survey estimates.

Washington, D.C., Gentrification Map: 1990 Census - 2000 Census

NOTE: Data shown correspond to current tract boundaries, which may have changed from prior Census years. Estimates are from the US2010 Longitudinal Tract Data Base project of the Russell Sage Foundation and Brown University.